SUSTAINABILITY 64 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2024 This starts with Wilmar proactively monitoring grower practices through satellite surveillance systems, which notify the company of any alerts related to deforestation. To identify and assess any environmental and social risks, the company requires extensive reporting from suppliers. To allow for any on-the-ground reporting of malpractice, the company has also created a public and transparent grievance mechanism. Since its ‘suspend first’ approach implementation in 2019, 12 supplier groups have been suspended due to deforestation. To re-enter Wilmar’s supply chain, Wilmar requires suppliers to meet certain criteria which include getting practices up to NDPE standards and rectifying any damage caused by malpractice. As the commercial leader for both production volume and NDPE policy, Wilmar’s strict policies have set the commercial standard for the majority of the supply chain, adding incentive to growers to implement best practices. “This limits market opportunities for any offenders who refuse to implement best practices,” says Sumardi. “Wilmar’s reputation in the industry for NDPE requirements is highly respected, with the suspension in relationship with any supplier hurting their reputation throughout the supply chain.” FOOD INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATIONS While major commercial influencers in the industry have been active in palm production reform, third-party work has largely been led by the industry’s flagship independent certification programme, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, commonly referred to as RSPO. Founded in 2004, the RSPO takes a multi-stakeholder approach, working with environmental organizations, palm oil producers, processors, retailers and investors to provide fully-certified and traceable sustainable palm oil products. The RSPO also provides full transparency on members, with annual palm usage reports and sustainability targets published for individual members on its website. Commitments to sourcing RSPO-certified palm within food production in the UK have been high, with nine out of the top 10 grocery retailers committing to sourcing 100% of palm oil for own-brand products as RSPO-certified (the only exception has been Iceland Foods, which has a ‘no-palm’ policy for own-brand products). The majority of these retailers are working towards 100% RSPO certifications in palm used by suppliers. Key players in the UK dairy industry are no exception, with the top five milk buyers and manufacturers maintaining RSPO membership and the top four reporting 100% RSPO-certified palm used within their own manufacturing. Furthermore, on a farm level, some retailers and milk buyers also require dairy farmers to only source palm-based feed fat supplements that have RSPO-certified sustainable credentials. VWFI is a partnership company between animal nutrition company Volac International and Wilmar Palm-based supplements in dairy rations improve milk yield, milk fat production and cow fertility, says Dr Richard Kirkland, Global Technical Manager and nutritionist for Volac Wilmar Feed Ingredients.
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